NatomasBuzz.com to Close May 1, 2016

Sunset at North Natomas Regional Park taken April 21, 2016 by Katie Nicholson.

THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz

After 8 ½ years, The Natomas Buzz will cease publishing new content effective May 1, 2016.

As I prepare to wind down website operations, I would like to acknowledge the village which helped grow The Natomas Buzz into a successful community news website.

First, The Natomas Buzz would not be possible without my husband and children whose patience and support mean so much to me.

While The Natomas Buzz started as a one-woman operation, several people volunteered their services over the years such as photographers Marc Laver, Chris Shannon, Larry Rodda, Glenn Robinson and Kaelyn Blizzard. The website would be truly lacking without the images taken by these generous and talented individuals.

Special thanks go out to NP3 High School Principal Tom Rutten, former Natomas High Principal John Eick, former Inderkum Principal George Tapanes and Natomas Charter School Executive Director Dr. Ting L. Sun for helping facilitate what became a vibrant and rewarding intern program for The Natomas Buzz.

As the website grew, so did the need for content contributors. Freelancers Trevor Horn, Robyn Eifertsen, Trina Drotar and Chris Shannon were all instrumental in expanding The Natomas Buzz’s coverage – from prep sports to the arts – helping illustrate, in many ways, the diversity and shining stars in our community.

Over the years, longtime colleague Susan Carlson has provided graphics for The Natomas Buzz. In 2013, Chris Janus of Janus Designs provided the expertise needed to migrate The Natomas Buzz from Blogger to Word Press. And, over the past three years, Janus and Erick Baum provided much-needed technical support to keep the website up and running. Teal Networks Inc. has graciously hosted the website for free since 2013 and will continue to do so and The Natomas Buzz will may remain online as a community archive.

I have truly appreciated the input and support from The Natomas Buzz’s reader advisers Julie Rhoten, Doreen Lopez, Aimee Wells, Elaine Blizzard, Vina Guzman and Ramona Burton-Ogburn – whether it was giving feedback about a possible advertiser or meeting me at a neighborhood park after dark so I could safely take a needed photo.

Advertisers and several members of the Natomas community, who supported The Natomas Buzz financially as voluntary subscribers (listed here), helped pay the bills and kept the website’s content free for all our readers.

And, finally, I want to thank The Natomas Buzz’s readers and the thousands who follow the site on social media, especially those who have sent story tips and photos. It’s because of you I have been inspired to cover the Natomas community for the past 8 ½ years – whether it was from my home office or at 30,000 feet returning from a journalism conference.

Thank you for taking this journey will me. I hope to see you around the neighborhood.